Report: NHTSA investigating Chevy TrailBlazer models over door fires

Published 9:30 am, Monday, February 13, 2012

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation concerning door fires on 2006-07 Chevrolet TrailBlazer models. The inquiry affects over 309,000 of the Chevy SUVs, with NHTSA stating that the door fires were caused by problems with the power window switches or some related electrical parts.

As of this writing, NHTSA has received 12 complaints from TrailBlazer owners about smoke or fires inside the vehicles, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported. According to The Detroit News, General Motors has stated that none of the TrailBlazers in question have been destroyed because of the fires, though some interior parts were melted and some seats were singed.

If this story sounds familiar, it's because NHTSA recently began investigating Toyota Camry and RAV4 models for this exact same reason, with some 830,000 Toyota vehicles possibly affected. Because of this, NHTSA is looking to see if General Motors and Toyota sourced the power window switches from the same parts supplier. If that's the case, other vehicles may be affected.

The Chevrolet TrailBlazer shares its power window switches with three other GM vehicles - the GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Saab 9-7X - though NHTSA has not received any complaints from owners of those vehicles, The Detroit News reports. A spokesperson from GM says these other vehicles have different door configurations, and thus, may not have any problems.

GM has said it intends to fully cooperate with NHTSA on the investigation. Of course, it's important to note that this isn't an official recall yet, but one may be issued pending the results of NHTSA's inquiry. In the meantime, owners experiencing any problems should contact their local dealership.